Hmmm...

She looked at herself in the mirror. She opened her mouth and saw her first wisdom tooth about to spring up from its rosy soft bed. She closed her mouth. She saw a louse climb up a loose strand of her hair like a spider in its web. She was disgusted with herself. Quickly she caught and squashed it between her fingernails; like how she used to when she was a kid.

She had grown up; she had lost her baby fat but she still had that spring in her step; that twinkle in her eye; the spirit in her heart. Wild and unbroken; innocent.

A louse infestation. She sighed. She slept.

The next day ushered in. She woke up.

She sat in the garden-basking in the sun; on the soil, cross-legged. She loved that. She loved the nature. She loved looking at her shadow, playing with it. She would make all sorts of movements with her hand and would watch her shadow mimic her every move.

She then got caught in the turmoil of thoughts through her brain. She never wanted to scratch her head. Her mom promised to comb her hair… She had stubby fingers or so she said- square palms, it seemed. She looked at the scar at the bottom of her thumb. Shera had bitten her there. She started at the sound of the squirrel. She saw a kingfisher on a telephone cable. As she stood to get a closer look, it flew away. She sighed and searched for that squirrel; but it was no where to be found. She sat down again; the ants scurrying past, busy. She at times would create obstacles with her fingers for them, observing how each ant would react and overcome the obstacle. A green sparkly fly flew and sat on her thigh; before she could do anything- get a closer look or swat it off- it realized her thigh wasn’t a flower and flew off. She sighed again.

She started scribbling in the soil; digging in with her fingers; drawing, writing, whatever came into her mind. That’s when her Shera ran up to her; sniffing, wanting to play. He ran behind his own tail to try get her attention. She threw a stone for him, to run after. He came back for more within seconds, dropping the spit covered stone next to her. Panting, his tongue long and pink hung out. She however was too engrossed in unleashing her creative skills that she didn’t notice. He nudged and licked her. She growled and he backed down; but he came back and nipped at her. Surrendering, she threw stones for him and then went back to scribbling. Shera sat next to her, realizing he wouldn’t get to play anymore.

She touched her left arm. It was hot, slightly red. That’s when her mother called out. She ran; sprinting followed by Shera; like the wind and the leaves…. And the ants kept scurrying past where she’d sat…now no longer obstructed.